Until last year, foundation just wasn’t my thing. Liquid foundations felt too heavy like I was wearing a disgusting mask all day. And I wasn’t a fan of tinted moisturizers because of the major color transfer.

Mineral makeup has become more popular over the years for actually being good for your skin, so I thought I’d give it a go. Ever since I tried it, I’ve been using it daily, and it’s been treating my sensitive, acne-prone skin very well!

Find out why the Everyday Minerals Intensive Formula made a believer out of me.
Everyday Minerals Intensive Formula Pictures:

Claims: TRUSTED

√ Provides flawless coverage
√ Can be applied in layers to achieved desired coverage
√ Vegan & doesn’t test on animals

Key Notes

• Name: Everyday Minerals Intensive Formula Base (Fairly Light Neutral)
• Amount: 5.5g
• What I Paid: $12 USD
• Price Per Unit: $2.18 USD per gram
• Formulas Available: Semi-Matte, Matte, Intensive & Original Glo
• Colors Available: They have a TON in the warm, gold, beige, cool, buff, and olive families
• Where to Buy: Everyday Minerals

Everyday Minerals Intensive Formula Review (Fairy Light Neutral)

My skin’s not too bad – I mainly suffer from mild hormonal acne during that time of the month. But last summer, for whatever reason, my skin went cuckoo. That left me feeling self-conscious and determined to find a good foundation that would cover red spots without clogging my pores and causing more acne.

This is where Everyday Minerals comes in. They boast having fewer ingredients in their mineral makeup, which is actually better for your skin since there aren’t any fillers or chemicals to make you break out. Also, I appreciate how it doesn’t have bismuth oxychloride (an allergen that makes my skin red, inflamed, and dry that other mineral-makeup companies almost always put into their products).

The powder is finely milled, so when you apply it with a kabuki or flat top brush and blend it in, it literally leaves you with airbrushed, flawless skin. (I recommend the Everyday Minerals Flat Top Brush that I reviewed before.) The Intensive formula provides extra coverage without looking masky, and it feels like there’s nothing on your skin – it’s that light. I also find that it covers up redness well and also evens out your skintone.

Another great thing about the Intensive formula is that it doesn’t leave you with fake matte skin. Rather, it gives you a slight dewiness that mimics natural-looking healthy skin. And I find that even when I use 2 light layers, it still looks natural.

My acne from last summer cleared up due to using some non-prescription products from Acne.org (which I’ll probably review at some point). But I kept using Everyday Minerals mineral makeup because I really loved how my skin looked with it yet how simple it was to use. Typically to get this kind of coverage, you’d have to use a thick liquid foundation, and in the summer, it would melt off your face. Not a pretty look!

Now when I get the occasional pimple, I even use some of this and dab it on as a concealer. The redness goes away with little effort, and the coverage lasts for about 8 hours before it starts to fade. (Using a good facial primer like the Make Up For Ever HD High Definition Primer I reviewed in a previous post can help it last even longer.)

And even though I wear this religious every single day, just one 5.5g container lasts me several months. It’s been a year since I first bought Everyday Minerals mineral makeup and I’ve only started on my second container. Talk about more bang for your buck!

While I love this product, it’s extremely messy. When you swirl your brush into the product on the inside of the lid and then tap off the excess, powder gets everywhere! It’s unavoidable. Mineral makeup = messy, messy, messy! Once I traveled with it, and even though the lid screws on tightly and there’s a sliding piece to cover the sifter holes, when I opened the lid, there was powder under the lid – not a lot, but enough that I noticed.

Pros Doesn’t test on animals Vegan Buildable coverage Easy-to-use Lasts a long time (very economical) Few ingredients (better for your skin) Several formulas available to suit dry, combination, or oily skin Many colors to choose from Sample sizes available so you can try before committing Doesn’t contain bismuth oxychloride (a known allergen)

Cons Can only be ordered online Messy (powder gets everywhere)

Final Verdict: 10/10

If you want to get sheer-to-heavy coverage with a foundation that’s easy on your skin (even if you have sensitive or acne-prone skin), I highly recommend Everyday Minerals Intensive Formula. You’ll forget that you’re wearing it because it’s so light, and you’ll feel good knowing that you’re not slapping on chemicals or cheap fillers that could clog your pores.

Edit: (October 11, 2011) For a while, Everyday Minerals switched their shipping method to FedEx, which, for Canadian customers is crazy expensive. I’m pleased to let you all know that they now also offer USPS, which means the shipping rates to Canada are waaaaaay cheaper…just like before! 🙂 YAY!